In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Western Red". The present variety was hybridized in 1986 by us in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was developed by crossing the selected seed parent, Red Diamond Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165), with the selected pollen parent, May Diamond Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,454). Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The fruit produced by the present variety is most similar to its seed parent, August Red Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,363), by producing clingstone fruit that is very firm in texture and late season in maturing, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is larger in size, has a higher percentage of red color, and that ripens 7 to 10 days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, the May Diamond Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,454), by producing high colored fruit that is very firm, but is very distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is clingstone instead of freestone and that ripens approximately 75 days later.